The congressional office at 423 Cannon House Office Building opened its doors at 9 a.m. The phone number is 202/225-2646. The location of a Northern Marianas office has not yet been finalized.
Peter Michael Tenorio will be Sablan’s district director. Tenorio is a businessman, former legislator and was chairman of the Kilili ‘08 Campaign Committee.
In addition to being responsible for constituent issues as they arise in the Northern Marianas, Tenorio will continue to be a key advisor to Sablan on a wide range of issue facing the people of the CNMI.
On the Northern Marianas-based staff will be attorney Viola Alepuyo, who will serve part-time as a legal counsel to Sablan.
Alepuyo will maintain a private practice, but in keeping with congressional ethics rules will be limited to matters in which the federal government has no interest or involvement.
Sablan has chosen Bob Schwalbach to be his chief of staff.
Schwalbach is a veteran of some two decades in the CNMI government.
He has considerable experience working in Washington, having served as congressional liaison in the resident representative’s office for 12 years.
He also worked as senior policy advisor under Gov. Juan N. Babauta and as staff to the Natural Resources and Commerce Committees in the 6th CNMI House of Representatives.
Schwalbach and Kilili first worked together in the 1980s in the CNMI Legislature.
Schwalbach completed his undergraduate studies in theater at Harvard University.
Arin Greenwood has been selected as senior legislative assistant and communications director.
A former CNMI assistant attorney general, Greenwood represented the Commonwealth Election Commission during the time Sablan was its executive director.
She also worked as an administrative judge for the CNMI’s first ever refugee protection program.
Immigration will be among her key areas of responsibility as senior legislative assistant.
Prior to working with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office, Greenwood served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Miguel S. Demapan of the CNMI Supreme Court.
Greenwood is also a writer and freelance journalist whose work has been published in dozens of publications including Slate, the Washington CityPaper, and the American Bar Association Journal.
Currently, she is a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank.
Becky Cruz Lizama has wide experience in environmental issues in the Northern Marianas and is a recent graduate of Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.
As a legislative assistant in Sablan’s congressional office, Lizama will continue her work on the environment and natural resources.
Rose Cruz McDermott is another experienced Washington hand who will be assisting Sablan.
McDermott has worked for the CNMI resident representative’s office since 1992 and has served in a number of positions of increasing responsibility. She will be in charge of overall office operations on Capitol Hill and manage the delegate’s schedule.
